As a woman in the production side of the IT/DBA business, let alone as a single mother, I believe it is very difficult for women to be fully dedicated to both family and a 24 hour support requirement at work. It seems more women are going into the Development side, but the Production side with the grueling work hours does not attract as many women into the field.

I believe my compensation has remained consistent with men because I have negotiated appropriate salaries and demonstrated a strong work ethic and commitment to do whatever it takes to return a broken server to health as quickly as possible. My daughter knew by the age of 4 the ring tone on my cell phone for an, "Uh-oh, broken server" call.

Back in the "bad old days" before remote computing was the norm, I dragged my toddler into the data center complete with pillows and blankets for off hours calls. She knew where the hot cocoa was kept, and she had her stack of "keep myself occupied until I fall asleep" always packed and ready to grab at a moment's notice. Now that she's 15 (already?) and working remotely is normal, she works out rides or sleep-overs with friend's for the weeks when I'm on-call or have off-hour projects scheduled.

Women can have both a family and a demanding career; it's a matter of priorities, compromises, communication and commitment.